Bill Nelson and Kendrick Meek team up on legislation to block drilling

The two Florida Democrats have introduced bills aimed at halting the Obama administration’s plans to expand offshore drilling – at least until investigations into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill uncover the cause of the disaster.

The bill, filed in the Senate by Nelson and in the House by Meek, would prevent the Department of Interior from moving ahead with a 5-year plan aimed at greatly expanding oil drilling into new areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast and along the Atlantic seaboard. The legislation also calls for a halt to new and current test wells and other exploration activities, like seismic testing.

The legislation wouldn’t effect platforms currently producing oil. The administration has said it would move to suspend deepwater exploratory drilling for 30 days pending the outcome of government drilling rig inspections. But it hasn't ruled out its five-year plan.